


First Born

by DemonicVaengel



Series: Sariel [1]
Category: Tales of Nine Realms
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Lore (Nine Realms)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 03:30:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20668580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicVaengel/pseuds/DemonicVaengel
Summary: Bless the lovely MedusasWrath for helping edit.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------





	First Born

**Author's Note:**

> Bless the lovely MedusasWrath for helping edit.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had her mother’s tongue but the heart of her father. They would've been so proud of her, and yet, very disappointed in me. I did the best I could, but in the end, it was a hide and seek game without a winner.

Before my brother Artemus and I, Daemon and Celestia had another companion: a dragon named Grim. A beast of a dragon, he didn’t particularly spend much time with us, so Artemus and I had hardly known him. As the months went on, he frequented home less and less, soon falling in love with a princess from the world below.

When Celestia, bare-faced and beaming, announced her pregnancy, Grim announced his as well. It seemed for a while, everything was going well. As time continued to pass however, we realized it was more than just a girl that kept him tethered to the other world. With every visit to our world, he seemed to diminish in energy and the shine in his scales, which had once been blinding, was reduced to a dull sheen.

God’s don’t get sick, so when Grim started to display signs of illness, Daemon and Celestia grew worried. The more they worried, the more Grim laughed saying old age has simply made them grow cautious. With a dragon-like smile, he assured them he was fine.

We barely saw him after that conversation.

However, when he did come for his last visit, it was one we will never forget. He could barely lift a wing let alone walk into our hall. He couldn’t hide the pain; doesn’t mean he didn’t try. Celestia and I tended to him, but he made it very clear from his lack of effort that help was not why he came.

We gathered together, forming a semi-circle around the beast. It was completely silent save for the sound of Grim purring as he nuzzled his head weakly against Celestia. We did everything we could to make him comfortable.

Celestia and I slept there, propped comfortably against him while Daemon left, not able to bare the sight of his best friend in such a state any longer. Artemus followed swiftly behind him.

I awoke abruptly to being thrown forcefully through the air. My back slammed against the wall of the room. Groggy, I lifted my head, trying to focus my vision and comprehend the situation. The ground shook below me as a loud roar echoed throughout our home. As the sleep cleared from my mind, I froze in horror at the sight of Celestia backed against the corner. She was encased in a light-shield that held fast around her as none other than Grim bombarding her with fireballs.

“Apalla!” Celestia cried, “Get Daemon!”

Grim’s head snapped to me. I noticed his crimson eyes that always radiated with admiration had turned black and soulless. He opened his mouth, flames pouring out, and charged for another attack. I couldn’t move, refusing to fight back. He was a friend.

Grim didn’t share the same sentiments and just as he was about to blast his attack, a pulse of pure light magic cracked him in the face, skewing the aim of his attack into the wall next to me.

Celestia demanded that I fetch Daemon. I was reluctant to leave her alone, but I was not about to disobey her. Unsurprisingly, Daemon seemed to have already heard the crash and it was mere seconds before I found him making his way over, Artemus following closely behind. Daemon bounced between the shadows of burning debris, any chance to get close to Celestia as fast as possible. 

The battle dragged on for far too long. While my brother and Daemon fought, I curled my body around Celestia, protecting her as best as a beast with a tiger's body could as she shot everything she had Daemon had been stretched thin trying to exhaust his friend. He hoped he could be saved, although deep down he knew fate was not on his side.

Finally, it was enough. The only ones being worn down were us, and Daemon saw it. With resistance in his voice, Daemon instructed my brother and I to bring Grim down. With a heavy heart, I nudged unfurled myself from Celestia and joined my brother to brother in fighting side by side as we brought our one called friend down.

With the power we had left, Grim was restrained. It didn’t deter him from struggling, acting like he hadn't taken a scratch, while our fur was singed and patchy from his fire. Daemon stood at Grim’s head as it spat flames, summoned his sword and propelled with the last of his power into the dragon’s neck.

The fight was over.

Daemon took no time to grieve, heading straight to Celestia. She was hurt but nothing that couldn't be mended,

or so we thought.

A week or so passed since the fight. They buried Grim in the sea of Sateria. Leaving a tribute in the form of an island on the world. Daemon had fallen silent, trying to mask his pain by throwing himself into getting ready for his unborn child. The birth of which had come not too long after, it was early and strenuous, but Celestia’s pain was not in vain. She had given birth to a beautiful healthy daughter; Celestia was not so lucky.

Daemon was distraught but unsurprised. He stopped me from rushing to her aid as she took her last breaths. He hung his head for a moment before merely handed the child to me and instructed me to step out as he said his goodbyes. Shifting into human form, I reluctantly nodded and carried the crying newborn away, trying to soothe her cries in the echoing hallway. Artemus, who waited patiently looked curiously at the child in my arms.

Later, as I retold the events to my brother, he gradually became more enraged, but held his tongue as to not disturb the child who was already in distress. I soothed the girl, trying to hold back my own tears. Artemus had laid himself down, making a perfect backrest, so I sat against him, leaning into his fur.

It was silent in the halls for the second time that day. The only sounds were the cooing of the child and my strained muffled sobs.

Once Daemon appeared from the room, he knelt down to us, and graciously took the child in his arms. He named her Gaia and proclaimed that Artemus and I were her protectors for now on. We agreed, but I could see Artemus barely fighting to hold back his tongue in bitter protest. I shook my head, silently pleading he not start a fight, especially at this time.

"So, are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?" He scowled at Daemon, ignoring my silent plea.

Daemon’s face showed underlying discomfort as he tried to focus on Gaia.

“Are we not even going to _talk_ about what just happened?” Artemus’ ears laid flat, “How do you expect us to protect you when you’re not even telling us what from?”

“You’re right,” Daemon looked up at him and spoke unwillingly, “You are both owed a proper explanation.”

I tried to interject, “You don’t have to right now,” but was swiftly ignored.

To first explain the depths of the situation, he started at the beginning, before Grim had even been breathed into existence.

When Celestia and Daemon created Sateria, they granted some of the inhabitant’s god-like abilities, known today as Magic. Some of the magic Daemon granted came with a price. It started out with small magic surges, which gradually turned into the destruction of homes and finally, the holders of such power lost all humanity. They were nothing but an empty husk as the cursed magic took hold of the user and destroyed everything in its path.

At first, they speculated mortals were just not able to wield the power of the Daedric magic, but when symptoms started to show in Grim, Daemon’s worst fear was realized. Daemon’s magic was too powerful for even a god to control. Grim had refused to listen, always brushing off the concerns. Only after it was too late, did Daemon realize why Grim had been so resistant to help.

In one of the final conversations between the two of them, Grim revealed to Daemon that long before he was approached with the news, he knew he was going to die. He had been struggling to hide his illness for much longer than they had realized and that what we were witnessing was just him losing the fight. They planned on the final day; Grim would stay and pass in the night, and the next morning Daemon would bury him on Sateria. Things didn’t exactly go as planned, but what Daemon didn’t tell us then was that in the fight rather than trying to save Grim, he was protecting us.

As he took the final swing, ending Grim’s life, the Daedric magic left Grim’s lifeless body and moved to the next best option for a host, himself.

During the fight, Daemon used every ounce of his power, getting the attention of the sentient magic. He made himself a target. Although what he didn’t find out till later, is that Daemon wasn’t the only host the magic had its eye on.

No god before has ever been born, only created.

Gaia was the first of her kind.

The Daedric Magic sensed her power.

Celestia immediately knew something was wrong and gave her life to be a host-to save her daughter.

Which brought us back to the situation at hand.

“So, is she going to come back?” Artemus asked, shifting himself to into a defensive position. 

Daemon kneeled to Artemus and pet his head calmingly. 

“No. I have taken care of that.” His voice cracked.

“Then what now?”

“As I instructed, you two will be Gaia’s protectors. Help her grow and teach her about her family and how to be a goddess.”

“What about you?” I asked quietly, not really wanting to know the answer.

He smiled weakly, “I will be here … but I don’t know for how much longer.”

Daemon did his best to control himself throughout his life. He did really well, he saw Gaia’s first steps, her first words. It was nice. He almost made it to six years, but his health plummeted before then. There was not much more we could do but make him comfortable.

Gaia understood, so young but already so content with the concept of death. She spent one last night, sleeping in his bed and telling him stories, making shapes in the air with the little magic she knew.

We were prepared this time. The next day Artemus left with him and returned later that night alone and from that day on I took the role of her protector very seriously. I couldn’t let them down.

Artemus says that’s what drove her away.

As Gaia grew older, she began to gain more independence. She was learning how to control her magic quickly. It was astounding the things she could do at such a young age. Along the way, Artemus became engaged to one of the other goddesses, Netsi, a white Kitsune who controlled the balance between Time and Space for all the realms. She took a liking to Gaia, showing her advanced magic, far beyond her years. The two would leave for entire days, and come back with stories about the other realms. Some were good stories, the two of them frolicking with the animals in the Fae realms, while some, much too dangerous for a 12-year-old in training.

Those stories were the ones that scared me deeply. I forbade Netsi to bring her to those places again, but that didn’t stop them. It just prompted them to get creative.

A little after Gaia’s 14th birthday was when things changed.

She had been getting distant for the last couple years, keeping more secrets and using her father’s half of her magic to speak to beings I could not see. She was always talking to someone. Whenever asked, she would relay the conversations willingly, but I could always tell there was something she was holding back.

The suspicious behaviour continued, and as it seemed, every time I asked, she gave nothing more than a pet on the head and the same old, “You just worry too much Apalla.”

Looking back, I wish I had pushed more; I wish I demanded she tell me what was going on, but I couldn’t. Every time I looked into her turquoise eyes; I just saw a baby girl.

My baby girl.

It made me feel dirty every time I thought of her as if she were my own, because I knew I could never replace her mother. It was always a nagging thought that I tried to escape. Maybe if I had focused less on being her mother and more on being the protector I was supposed to be, she wouldn’t have slipped out of my paws so easily.

The last night all four of us spent together was peaceful. Netsi had just come back from one of the other realms and was telling stories about her adventures. Gaia fell right asleep, curled up with my tail like always. I excused myself and brought her to bed, tucking her in with a quiet “goodnight.”

She grabbed my tail as I attempted to step out, which startled me.

“Go to sleep. We’re all right here.”

She smiled sleepily, and let out a groggy, “I love you” before proceeding to let go of my tail and fall right back asleep.

I nuzzled her head and whispered a quick, “I love you too” before leaving to join the others.

We were awake for quite a bit longer, telling stories about the world below and gossiping about the other realms. It was all in good fun. A perfect end to a perfect night.

I was the first to grow tired as the hours crept on and returned to my quarters. Quietly, I stepped into Gaia’s room. The girl was peacefully asleep, curled up among her blankets. I made my way to the foot of her bed where I regularly slept and went right to sleep, reminiscing on the wonderful end to the night.

The next morning, I found I had slept in fairly late. Quickly I readied myself before going to wake Gaia who was still fast asleep under her blankets. Rarely did I let her sleep in so it was no surprise that she was soaking up every moment she got.

I nudged her bed gently as usual, “Time to wake up,” I said calmly.

No movement. I smiled softly and repeated.

After again no response, I propped my front paws onto the bed and shook. Her lack of movement is when I finally noticed something was wrong. I pulled back the covers, and her illusion spell dissipated to be just a pile of pillows stacked on top of each other. 

Panic had set it as I ran to Artemus and Netsi, hoping it was just another one of their pranks.

They had not seen her either. We scoured the area, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Netsi insisted to me she never taught Gaia how to leave,

“Besides,” she said “why would she have left?”

Frustrated, I demanded she search the realms, regardless of what we thought. If she wasn’t here, she had to be somewhere.

Artemus had tried to calm me as we waited, but I was too anxious to sit still and when she eventually came back, there was no sight of Gaia. The other gods however ‘would let us know' if anyone spotted her.

They never did find her.

I had lost my family.

I had lost their daughter.

I had lost _my _daughter.

I’m such a failure.

**Author's Note:**

>   
Details here and there are subject to change for future lore but doesn't mean things can't be enjoyed now for what they are right?  
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End file.
